Study Plan Name: Project Cultural Resources Survey Study Plan Designation: Cultural 01
Study Short Description: Identify resources affected by the project that are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
Applicable Hydro Projects/Developments: All
Prerequisite Study Designation: NA
I. Study Objective
Identify sites eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (Historic Properties) within the Project’s Area of Potential Effects (APE). This is the first step in assessing the effects of project operation on historic properties. Specific work activities planned for this study include
• Refinement of the existing basinwide historic context to provide a greater focus on regional patterns; • Update Duke’s existing GIS-based database of known archaeological and historic sites;
• Consultation with the Catawba Indian Nation and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians about Native American sites affected by the project;
• Archaeological survey of Duke Power owned islands within project reservoirs; and, • Assessment of project powerhouses and dams to determine if they are Historic Properties.
II. Basis
FERC requires applicants to address Historic Properties in Exhibit E of the license application (18CFR4.51.f.4). Requirements for consideration of cultural resources are further spelled out in the implementing regulations of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (36 CFR Part 800).
Projects may affect Historic Properties through the following: • Lake use permitting of non-project uses;
• Erosion of historic properties located on the shoreline of project reservoirs or immediately downstream of the project;
• Recreational use of project lands; and,
• Management of project facilities like dams and powerhouses that are historic properties.
III. Geographic and Temporal Scope
Survey activities will be confined to areas directly affected by project operations or Area of Potential Effect (APE). This includes lands within the project boundary, access areas owned by Duke Power and lands downstream of the project. (See Figure 1) Due to the size of the project, the results of previous
surveyed. These areas were identified with input from members of the Cultural Resources Resource Committee.
Surveys of shoreline areas can only be effectively conducted during annual drawdowns or during
abnormal situations that cause the reservoirs to be lowered for a significant period of time (i.e., long-term droughts). This is due to the limits of Duke Power ownership (and the project boundary) to the full pond elevation. The following reservoirs have annual drawdowns:
Reservoir Peak drawdown (feet below normal operating level)
Month of Peak Drawdown
James 6 February
Norman 6 February Wateree 2.5 January Based upon the results of shoreline surveys of Lake James and Lake Norman conducted in 2002 and
2003, no additional shoreline surveys are planned on Lake James and Lake Norman. Due to the minor drawdown anticipated on Lake Wateree and the results of surveys conducted on Fishing Creek Lake in 2003 during a drought, no shoreline surveys are planned for Lake Wateree. Due to the lack of drawdowns on the remaining reservoirs, no shoreline surveys are planned. Additional surveys within the reservoirs during prolonged drawdowns will be addressed during development of the Historic Properties
Management Plan (see Cultural 02).
Duke will survey all Duke-owned islands that have not been previously surveyed within the project reservoirs to identify previously unknown archaeological and historic sites. These islands can be surveyed at any point throughout the year with the exception of Heron Island in Lake Norman which hosts as a heron rookery from April through August. In addition, Duke will assess all project powerhouses and dams to determine if they are Historic Properties.
IV. Summary of Existing Data
Duke Power began implementing a Programmatic Agreement for cultural resources in 2001. Activities implemented to date include:
• Development of a basinwide historic context for the project area;
• Development of a GIS-based database containing all known archaeological and historical sites compiled from the NC and SC State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) files;
• Modification of lake user agreements to address discovery of historic and archaeological resources during approved activities;
• Development of a GIS-based draft predictive model for Lake James, Lake Norman and Fishing Creek Lake; and,
• Archaeological surveys of portions of the shoreline of Lake James, Lake Norman and Fishing Creek Lake as well as islands within the three reservoirs.
Thomason and Associates has developed a draft document titled “National Register Eligibility Study of Seven Hydroelectric Projects in the Nantahala Area, North Carolina,” that provides an overview of the development of hydroelectric power in western North Carolina.
Extensive amounts of data are also available from local historical commissions, museums, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill research laboratory of archaeology and land trusts. Duke Energy’s archives also contain information about previous archaeological surveys and other historic era documents.
V. Methodology
Duke Power will utilize a qualified cultural resources consultant(s) to conduct all surveys and historic structure evaluations.
• Historic Context: Duke Power will prepare a Request for Proposals (RFP) and submit it to qualified cultural resource management consultants. The scope of the work will be to identify prehistoric and historic settlement and use patterns for each reservoir area as well as regional patterns encompassing more than one reservoir. Specific issues to be addressed include the locations of historic communities within the reservoir areas, how the acquisition of lands for the project affected these communities, locations of cemeteries prior to inundation, locations of relocated cemeteries, and the locations of historic roads and railroads prior to development of the projects. This work will build upon the historic context developed as part of PA. Development of the context should include a cartographic survey of historic era maps as well as other historic documents to identify areas of the reservoirs that have the greatest potential to have intact archaeological and historic sites. This work will incorporate an update of Duke Power’s existing GIS database of known archaeological and historic sites within the APE. Information sources will include both the state’s site files as well as information obtained from other entities including, but not limited to, UNC-Chapel Hill’s research lab of archaeology, local historic commissions, local museums and other organized entities. Information for sites included in the database will be consistent with the parameters in the current database. The revised database will be provided to the NC and SC SHPO’s upon its completion.
• Archaeological Surveys: Duke Power will prepare a RFP and submit it to qualified archaeological consultants. The survey intensity will provide for recommendations of National Register eligibility when feasible. Current impacts, if any, to sites will be identified. When sites extend beyond Duke Power’s property or, in the case of islands, below the lake surface, this information will be noted. No survey work will be conducted on property not owned by Duke Power. All work will conform to the standards of the state in which the surveys are conducted. Islands to be surveyed will be identified utilizing Duke Power’s high resolution aerial photography. The locations and boundaries of any sites located during the survey will be recorded utilizing GPS equipment (projection NAD 83 in feet). • Project Powerhouses and Dams Evaluation: Duke Power will prepare a RFP and submit it to
qualified historic structures consultants. The scope of the evaluation will include development of a historic context for the development of hydroelectric power in North and South Carolina. Study report shall include, but not be limited to, site plans, identification of original equipment and features, modified components of facilities and any elements contributing to a facility’s eligibility. All
powerhouses and dams will be evaluated regardless of a facility having been previously assessed. All project structures associated with each development will be assessed as a complex as opposed to individual structures.
• Tribal Sites: Duke Power will consult with the Catawba Indian Nation (CIN) and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) to determine if important tribal sites are being affected by the project. Distribution of any information gathered through this process will be determined by Duke, the CIN and the EBCI prior to documentation of any tribal sites.
Cultural resources Resource Committee (RC) members will be invited to provide comments on RFP’s developed for these studies and any proposals Duke Power receives (without cost data) in response to the RFP’s. Members of the cultural resources RC can recommend consultants to be considered for any work; however, Duke reserves the right to select which parties are invited to participate in the bidding process and, ultimately, which consultant is selected to conduct the survey.
Duke will provide all draft reports to members of the study team for 30 days review and comment. Duke Power will not provide archaeological site data to individuals who are not affiliated with the SHPO or a Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO) without the concurrence of the SHPOs and THPOs. The historic context and powerhouse assessments will be provided to the public. However, no information Duke considers confidential for facility security reasons will be released to the public.
The bidding process will be facilitated by Duke Power’s primary technical consultant Devine, Tarbell & Associates, Inc.
VI. Schedules and Required Conditions
All work will be initiated as soon as the working group finalizes the study plan. The draft historic structures report shall be completed by June 30, 2004. The historic context and archaeological survey reports shall be completed by February 1, 2005.
VII. Use of Study Results
The results of the surveys and assessment will be utilized in developing the Historic Properties Management Plan (HPMP). The HPMP is further described in Study Plan Cultural 02.
VIII. Study Participants
Name Organization Phone #
Applicant Lead Jennifer Huff Duke Power Hydro Licensing
980.373.4392 [email protected] Agency Leads Lee Novick
Juliana Hoekstra Richard Sidebottom Chad Long NC Department of Cultural Resources SC Department of Archives and History
Lee.novick@nc mail.net Juliana.hoekstra @ncmail.net sidebottom@scd ah.state.sc.us [email protected] e.sc.us Supporting Consultants Deborah Joy Paul Webb
Legacy Research Assoc TRC Garrow Assoc
pwebb@trcsolutio ns.com
Other Participants Wenonah Haire Sandra Reinhardt Michelle Hamilton
Catawba Indian Nation
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians wenonahh@ccp pcrafts.com sandrar@ccppcr afts.com [email protected]
